The xx’s Romy Madley Croft no longer feels ‘afraid or embarrassed’ to write explicitly queer love songs
Romy Madley Croft performing with The xx (C Brandon/Redferns/Getty)
The xx star Romy Madley Croft has said she is no longer “afraid or embarrassed” to write explicitly queer love songs.
The singer and guitarist, who is set to release her debut solo album in 2021, told The Guardian that she now feels more confident than ever in writing songs that are unabashedly queer.
“I came out when I was 14, and my dad was really cool about it, and I’m very grateful for that,” Madley Croft said.
“But I didn’t feel ready when we put out that first xx album, when we were about 20, to be really, really open about my sexuality. Over time, growing up and also just noticing how the world is changing, I felt a lot more comfortable being more public.”
Reflecting on an upcoming song titled “Love Her”, Madley Croft said: “To write about loving a woman and not feel afraid or embarrassed… maybe it’s a growing up thing, and just not caring as much what people think.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Madley Croft reflected on the lack of pop music aimed at queer women.
“When I was a teenager, and I was looking for explicitly lesbian love songs that I could connect to, I definitely wasn’t finding any pop-dance music.
“It was more like, lesbian acoustic music. That’s the stereotype, I think. What does a lesbian love song sound like? Someone with an acoustic guitar!”
Romy Madley Croft and The xx have been vocal in their support for queer people’s rights
Romy Madley Croft and her xx bandmates have been vocal in their support for the LGBT+ community. In 2013, the band issued a statement clarifying their support for equal marriage after one of their songs was used by an anti-LGBT+ organisation in an advert.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the band said they “unconditionally” support the right of same-sex couples to marry.
The advert from anti-equal marriage group U ime obitelji featured their song “Intro”.
“It has come to our attention that our music has been used without our permission in a promotional advert by the Croatian organisation U ime obitelji,” the statement posted on the band’s Facebook page said.
“We wish to state that we didn’t, and would never, approve the use of our music by this organisation. To be clear, we unconditionally support the equal right to marriage regardless of sexuality.”
In 2017, Madley Croft announced her engagement to Hannah Marshall, a British designer and visual artist.
